Inspiring the Wolf (part 2)

Lyulf, the wolf

Asking me why I love wolves is like asking someone why his/her favorite color is blue instead of green, or black instead of white. There is no definitive answer, but I have loved wolves since I was a child. I adored them in movies, in art, in folklore, and in myths. They are beautiful animals, free and independent, and if I had to come back in another life as any creature, I know I would choose the wolf.

Because of this love, I guess it is only fitting that a wolf by the name of Lyulf is featured in my debut novel, Fire Wolf. Lyulf, from first story conception, has always been a wolf, not a shape-shifter or a werewolf, but a real wolf. He is loyal, protective, strong, and the embodiment of the beauty of the gray wolf in personality and spirit. He can be scary and predatory, or he can defend you as if you were part of his pack.

All of the positive and negative traits, the duel personality and images of the wolf, I have kept in mind while crafting Lyulf on the page. I never wanted him to come across as if he were a domesticated dog, apt to please his master, or a vicious creature, prone to biting. I wanted him not only to be as complex as a real wolf, but also to have all the complexities of a human character in spite of being an animal. After all, Lyulf is not an ordinary wolf.

He is Fire Wolf.

Check out the Fire Wolf board on Pinterest for more of my vision of Lyulf and the novel.